A brief history of the May Day celebrations Like many of Britain’s customs and traditions, May Day has its roots set firmly in pre-Christian times. The ancient Celts marked the changing of the seasons by holding major festivals at the beginning of each period. Beltane or ‘the fire of Bel’, as it was known to…
A brief history of the ”great” British pub The British pub, or to give its full name ‘public house’, is an establishment renowned all over the world. The pub’s main function is to serve alcoholic drinks and, increasingly, food to its customers. In cities, towns and villages, all across the UK, the pub has traditionally…
A brief history of the fish and chip shop! For many years, the fish and chip shop, notwithstanding the Antipodes, was an establishment peculiar to the British Isles. Often promoted as the national dish, I think it’s fair to say that fish and chips is the most iconic dish of all the UK’s traditional fayre….
A brief history of the reason we give chocolate Easter eggs! Ever wondered what is behind the act of giving chocolate eggs at Easter? Eggs have long been seen as a symbol of fertility, birth, purity, and regeneration by many different civilisations and cultures. For instance, in Egyptian mythology, the phoenix burns its nest to…
The history behind the rude gesture of giving ‘the fingers’ or V-sign Ever wondered why is it we give the V-sign, often referred to as ‘the fingers’? The commonly used offensive gesture is formed by holding up a hand with the middle and index finger upright in a V shape. The back of the hand…
geoffv